Craig seemed to notice the four old Degrassians too, right on stage, he even paused during a guitar solo but ended up nodding and sending them over a grin.

Emma mustered one beside Manny who stood beside her and nudged her when she waved, "Emma!"

"It's Craig." Emma rolled her eyes. She cannot not say hi. He was an old family friend! Snake and Joey still went on 'man vacations' together.

"Jay." Manny moped, smoothing her hand up and down his arm as his glare was locked hard on Craig.

"I'm gonna go get a drink." growled Jay and he walked off. Both girls looked at Sean for that assurance if Jay was mad or not, and the look Sean gave just showed them it wasn't good.

((*)

Manny now stood at the bar with Jay, a slow song now playing as the band took break.

"How about we just dance, and get drunk?" Manny held her body against Jay, hoping it'd help seduce him and change his mind.

"You can't make it up to me with that. Not this time." Jay huffily said.

Manny rolled her eyes, "What say did I have over this, Jay? I had no idea he'd be here... he is a famously known wedding singer though."

"I hate the little leather jacket wearing, lying, guitar carrying, piece of-"

Manny's eyes widened seeing Craig coming right up behind Jay and even patted his back, "Hey you guys!"

Jay turned, not believing this but Manny tried to force a smile, "Hey..you."

Jay gave her a look and she shrugged. Jay squinted his eyes back at Craig.

Craig looked ecstatic. Maybe too ecstatic to be seeing them. He looked around with his big brown eyes, "Thought I saw Emma and Sean here too?"

"You did." Manny nodded.

Jay and him finally locked eyes and Craig kept nodding to then pause and clear this throat, "Heard you two were engaged." he signaled between the two.

Manny wrapped her arms around Jay and showed her ring off, nodding. Jay ofcourse had to ask, "Why do you care?"

"Jay." Manny rolled her eyes.

Craig laughed nervously. "I get it." he confirmed to Jay. "Don't worry, I am not here to shake up any drama."

"What makes you think you could?" Jay asked, pulling Manny closer to him, "She knows what guy makes her-"

Manny knew what dirty things Jay would say and nudged him hard in the stomach, baring a smile at Craig who missed it, "You should say hello to Em and Sean! You and Sean use to go back too."

Craig nodded and looked around, "I think I'll go do that."

He left, and Manny snapped in a whisper at Jay, "God you can be so jealous! I thought I convinced you the last time Craig was around that you have NO need to be jealous."

"I'm not jealous. I hate the guy. He's a manipulative asshole- believe me, I know."

"You changed your spots." Manny reminded, "Why can't he?"

"Trust me, Manny. The guys probably still on something. Did you see how shifty his eyes were?"

"He is NOT. He went to rehab!"

Meanwhile, Craig saw Emma and Sean quietly sitting at a table across another. He noticed they kept their distance. He assumed they were together, I guess he always would when seeing Sean and Emma together because that's usually what it meant, or they weren't around another at all because they couldn't pretend to be friends.

"Look whose together again." he joked, and sat between them.

They turned, then went over what he said, both looking at another with parted mouths and not knowing how to explain.

"We aren't.."

"No, we're not-"

"OH!" Craig felt embarrassed," Sorry." he chuckled and itched the back of his neck with a sniff. "So uh," he tried to think of how to change the subject.

Emma snuck a glance at Sean who held a hard gaze at the ground. "Hows music buisness, Craig?"

Craig looked at her, and grinned. "Going great." he looked her over and saw she too, looked great.

How come him and Emma had never been more than..friends?

"What happened to the tour stuff? Concerts, shows?"

"Weddings and parties are just so much easier. And at home." he answered and looked around the place, "This is my usual gig. Got my own dressroom and stuff in the back." he looked at Sean who just nodded, trying to look impressed. "Want to see?" he asked them.

Emma looked to Sean.

Sean looked comfortable, and not wanting to move. He looked to Emma who tried to be polite and forced a smile, "Sure."

"I'll stay here." Sean told them, but watched with narrowed eyes as Craig even helped Emma up by her hand, and kept hold of it as he led her away. Sean squinted his eyes and watched them go til out of site.

He tried to shake it off. Emma and Craig were just old friends.

((((****))))

Emma laughed, walking around Craig's dress room which was like a little apartment and he admitted, "I sort of even live here." he sat on his red leather couch, with a black coffee table in front of him.

He had his guitar laying against the arm on the couch

Emma went and slowly sat on the other side of him and sighed, looking around. "You seem to be doing well. Even if it's not the 'Rockstar' life anymore. That's probably better for you, right?"

She eyed him, hearing about his 'problem' from Manny years go. I guesss on a level, she could definitely connect with him.

Craig paused, wondering what she meant and then chuckled with a sniff. "Yeah I guess so." he then eyed Emma and got lost looking at her. He couldn't help but inch a bit closer. "So Emma Nelson, what have you been up to? Model life, I heard last. I'm not shocked." he grinned slowly.

Emma did believe he was flirting. She could help but laugh and eye him wierdly to then think about what he said.

"Really?" Emma asked him, not so sure "Cause it seems like the old Emma you use to know would of thought the model stuff I did was sort of... sexist and degrading."

"I just meant.." his voice lowered, "with how pretty you are, and all." he licked his lips slowly as him and Emma locked eyes. "..are you really not with Sean?"

Emma snapped out of it, wondering why she was falling for Craig's cheesy little lines and flirting. Maybe it was her old grade 8 crush on him kicking into gear, but when he mentioned Sean..Emma couldn't think about anything else.

"Can we not talk about him?"

Craig grinned more to that and shrugged his shoulders, "No problem." he leaned back comfortably. "I can't help but notice..you seem, different."

"Good different?"

"Amazing different."

Emma smiled and rolled her eyes. Something then caught her attention. Something on the coffee table, "Um, Craig..is that what I think that is?"

She slowly stood up, her eyes glued though to the coke bag on the table. Craig glanced over, and back at Emma, but paused before he said anything as he noticed her not moving to get away..but standing still unable to move with a look in her eyes he knew too well.

"Have you tried it before?"

((((***)))

"Hey." Manny greeted as she and Jay sat back down at the table with Sean. He looked a bit antsy, looking around the wedding party. "Where's Em?"

Sean glanced, annoyed, at them. "She left with Craig about an hour ago. I don't know what is taking them so damn long."

Manny and Jay glanced at another, a bad feeling stirring in Manny's stomach but she tried to brush it off. "She's fine with Craig."

"Is she?" taunted Jay, raising an eyebrow.

Sean then eyed between them, wondering what was going on. He wasn't let in on the 'hot gossip' back when Craig and Manny last dated, about the whole coke and rehab thing.

Manny couldn't hold it in. "Where did they go, Sean?" she got up, and grabbed Jay to stand with her.

Instead of answering, Sean got up and led them towards the back, Manny passing Jay a worried glance behind Sean's back.

(((((*)))))

"More?"

Emma held her head in her hands and shook her head, feeling a bit dazed. Craig hung over her, his shirt off now and Emma couldn't believe they had done this.

She took a line, or three, and they had started to make out hot and heavy to the point of Craig feeling her up, and taking his shirt off. But then she stopped.

"No." she mumbled.

Craig flicked his baggie to see how much is left, "I'm running low anyways." he smirked over to her, "We took a lot."

He watched her finally look up, and run shakey hands through her hair and her eyes looked glazed, her nose red.

"Are you cryin?" he inched closer again and she tried to look away from him but he cupped her face, "Em. This isn't bad, how can be bad when it makes us feel so good?"

Emma felt it bumping through her system, and wanted to even agree with him but she felt horrible. All those weeks, gone to shit. All Sean did for her. . down the drain.

"Or is it the kiss?" Craig frowned.

"No." Emma insisted, seeing his face fall." Yes.." she admitted and groaned, "I don't know."

"You're clearly under a lot of stress or something, Em. You just.." he grabbed a glass of something and handed it to her, "You need to relax. Alright? I'll take care of you."

Emma trusted him, and nodded, taking it and then swallowed something hard in her throat. "Craig! What the hell is that?"

"Vodka and soda."

Emma closed her eyes and just put the glass down, whimpering a bit and just leaned back on the couch, trying to stop feeling this way. Awful. High. Out of her own control.

"Shit." Craig got up. But Emma looked passed out. "Emma, your nose is bleeding."